TWM683046U - Socket anti-theft system - Google Patents

Abstract

An anti-theft socket system includes an embedded electrical socket and an electronic device. The embedded electrical socket includes a socket body, a signal conversion module, an Ethernet port, a first electrical port, and a first latching portion. The signal conversion module, the first latching portion, the Ethernet port, and the first electrical port are all located on the socket body, and the signal conversion module is electrically connected to the Ethernet port and the first electrical port. The electronic device includes a device body, a second latching portion, a circuit module, and a second electrical port. The circuit module is located within the device body. The second electrical port is electrically connected to the circuit module, located on the device body, and removably connected to the first electrical port. The second latching portion is located on the device body and removably latched to the first latching portion, thereby securing the electronic device to the recessed electrical socket.

Description

Socket anti-theft system

This creation relates to an anti-theft system, specifically an anti-theft socket system.

In recent years, recessed power strips have been equipped with AC power sockets, as well as USB and network ports. Thus, when the network port of the recessed power strip is connected to an Ethernet cable, and a device (such as a wireless router) is directly plugged into the USB charging port, the user can provide signal services to the device via the Ethernet cable.

However, due to the lack of tamper-proof structures in recessed power outlets, the working devices on recessed power outlets often fall off or are stolen.

It is evident that the aforementioned technologies still have inconveniences and shortcomings, and require further improvement. Therefore, how to effectively resolve these inconveniences and shortcomings is one of the important research and development issues at present, and has become a goal that urgently needs to be improved in related fields.

One of the purposes of this invention is to provide a socket anti-theft system that addresses at least some of the problems existing in the prior art.

In one embodiment of this invention, a socket anti-theft system includes a recessed electrical socket and an electronic device. The recessed electrical socket includes a socket body, a signal conversion module, an Ethernet port, a first electrical port, and a first latching part. The signal conversion module, the first latching part, the Ethernet port, and the first electrical port are respectively located on the socket body, and the signal conversion module is electrically connected to the Ethernet port and the first electrical port. The electronic device includes a device body, a second latching part, a circuit module, and a second electrical connection port. The circuit module is located inside the device body. The second electrical connection port is electrically connected to the circuit module, located on the device body, and removably connected to the first electrical connection port. The second latching part is on the device body and removably latches onto the first latching part, so that the electronic device is fixedly attached to the recessed electrical socket.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned socket anti-theft system, the first latching part and the second latching part are respectively a latching groove and a latching element that engage with each other.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned socket anti-theft system, the latching slot includes a recess and a latching opening. The recess is located on the front side of the socket body, and the latching opening is formed on the inner wall of the recess. The latching member includes a spring arm and a latching block. One end of the spring arm is connected to the device body, and the latching block protrudes from the spring arm. When the spring arm extends into the recess, the latching block engages with the latching opening.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned socket anti-theft system further includes an unlocking component. The unlocking component is detachably moved to the spring arm to push the spring arm and disengage the latch from the latch.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-described socket anti-theft system, the device body has a back side and a side side adjacent to each other. The back side faces the recessed electrical socket, and has a through-hole on the back side and an unlocking port on the side side. The through-hole and the unlocking port are respectively connected to the internal space of the device body. The spring arm includes a first part and a second part that are connected to each other. The first part is located in the internal space and aligned with the unlocking port, and the second part is located in a latching groove. The unlocking element passes through the unlocking port and contacts the first part of the spring arm.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned socket anti-theft system, the electronic device further includes a shielding member. The shielding member is fixedly positioned in the interior space, covering the through opening, and forming a guide gap between itself and the inner wall of the device body. The guide gap connects the spring arm and the unlocking port respectively, and is used to guide the unlocking member to move to the first part of the spring arm.

According to one or more embodiments of this invention, in the aforementioned socket anti-theft system, the socket body further comprises a side wall and an unlocking port. The side wall is adjacent to the front, and the unlocking port is formed on the side wall and connects to a latching groove. The spring arm comprises a first part and a second part that are connected to each other. The first part is located within an internal space, and the second part is located within a latching groove and aligned with the unlocking port. The unlocking element is located within the unlocking port and contacts the second part of the spring arm.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned socket anti-theft system, the unlocking element has a hemispherical concave portion, and the spring arm has a hemispherical convex portion. When the unlocking element contacts the spring arm, the hemispherical convex portion extends into the hemispherical concave portion, the hemispherical concave portion directly covers the hemispherical convex portion, and the curvature of the hemispherical concave portion matches the curvature of the hemispherical convex portion.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, in the above-mentioned socket anti-theft system, the second latching part is integrally connected to the device body, or the second latching part is locked to the device body.

According to one or more embodiments of this invention, in the aforementioned socket anti-theft system, the electronic device further includes a support rib and two protective ribs, both of which are formed on the side of the device body facing the socket body and are arranged together in a triangle. A second electrical connection port is located between the two protective ribs, and a second latching portion is located between the second electrical connection port and the support rib.

Thus, through the framework described in the above embodiments, the socket anti-theft system of this invention can reduce the chance of electronic devices falling off the recessed electrical socket or being stolen.

The above description is only used to illustrate the problem that this creation aims to solve, the technical means to solve the problem, and the effects it produces. The specific details of this creation will be introduced in detail in the implementation method and related diagrams below.

To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the specific implementation methods of this invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings and other implementation methods can be obtained from these drawings without any further effort.

To keep the drawings simple, only the parts relevant to this creation are shown schematically in each figure, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, in some figures, only one of the components with the same structure or function is shown schematically, or only one is labeled. In this document, "one" not only means "only one," but can also mean "more than one," and "at least one" can also mean both "one" and "many."

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a socket anti-theft system 1 according to an embodiment of this invention. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the socket anti-theft system 1 in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line segment A-A in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the socket anti-theft system 1 includes a recessed electrical socket 10 and an electronic device 20. The recessed electrical socket 10 includes a socket body 100 and a first latching portion (such as a latching groove 150). The first latching portion (such as a latching groove 150) is located on the socket body 100. The electronic device 20 includes a device body 200 and a second latching portion (such as a latching member 220). The second latching part (such as latching member 220) is located on the device body 200 and is removably latched onto the first latching part (such as latching groove 150), so that the electronic device 20 can be fixedly attached to the recessed electrical socket 10 (Figure 3).

In this embodiment, the first latching part (such as latching groove 150) and the second latching part (such as latching member 220) are latching groove 150 and latching member 220 that can be fastened to each other. The latching groove 150 is located on the side of the socket body 100 facing the electronic device 20 (hereinafter referred to as the front side 101 of the socket body 100), and the latching member 220 is located on the side of the device body 200 facing the recessed electrical socket 10 (hereinafter referred to as the back side 201 of the device body 200). However, the invention is not limited thereto.

Furthermore, the latching slot 150 includes a recess 151 and a latching opening 152. The recess 151 is located on the front side 101 of the socket body 100 and extends from the front side 101 of the socket body 100 toward the interior of the socket body 100. The latching opening 152 is formed in the inner wall of the recess 151 and connects the recess 151 with the receiving space 140 of the socket body 100. The latching member 220 includes a spring arm 221 and a latching block 222. One end of the spring arm 221 is connected to the back side 201 of the device body 200 and is disposed corresponding to the recess 151, and the latching block 222 protrudes from one side of the spring arm 221. In this embodiment, the spring arm 221 and the latching block 222 are integrally formed; however, the invention is not limited thereto.

In this embodiment, the device body 200 further includes a through-hole 213 and an unlocking port 217. The through-hole 213 is located on the back surface 201 of the device body 200 and corresponds to the position of the latch 220, and connects to the internal space 203 of the device body 200. The unlocking port 217 is located on one side 202 of the device body 200 adjacent to the back surface 201, and connects to the internal space 203 of the device body 200.

More specifically, the spring arm 221 is generally curved, with one end integrally connected to the inner edge of the through-hole 213, and the other end extending from the through-hole 213 into the internal space 203 of the device body 200. In other words, the spring arm 221 includes a first part 221A and a second part 221B that are connected to each other. The first part 221A is located in the internal space 203 of the device body 200 and is aligned (or overlaps) with the unlocking port 217, that is, the orthographic projection of the unlocking port 217 to the latch 220 is located on the first part 221A of the spring arm 221. The second part 221B is located in the latching groove 150.

Thus, when a user wants to install the electronic device 20 into the recessed electrical socket 10, the user makes the front 101 of the socket body 100 fit against the back 201 of the device body 200, so that the spring arm 221 just extends into the groove 151. In this way, the latch 222 of the latching member 220 can be fastened to the latching opening 152, so that the electronic device 20 can be fixedly attached to the recessed electrical socket 10.

Furthermore, the recessed electrical socket 10 includes a shield 153. The shield 153 covers the snap-fit opening 152 and part of the socket body 100 to prevent the connection between the accommodating space 140 and the recess 151, thereby reducing the risk of dust or foreign objects entering the socket body 100.

Similarly, the electronic device 20 further includes a shielding member 224. A portion of the shielding member 224 is fixed within the internal space 203, simultaneously covering the through-hole 213 and part of the device body 200, thereby preventing the internal space 203 from connecting with the outside through the through-hole 213, thus reducing the risk of dust or foreign objects entering the electronic device 20. Furthermore, another portion of the shielding member 224 is separated from the inner wall of the device body 200 to form a guiding gap G, which connects the first portion 221A of the spring arm 221 and the unlocking port 217.

It should be understood that in this embodiment, although the latch 220 is integrally connected to the device body 200, the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the latch 220 may also be a spring clip locked to the device body 200, so that the spring clip can be replaced when it is damaged, without having to replace the entire device body 200.

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the electrical socket in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the recessed electrical socket 10 further includes a signal conversion module 160, an Ethernet port 170, and a first electrical port 180. The signal conversion module 160, the Ethernet port 170, and the first electrical port 180 are located within the socket body 100, and the Ethernet port 170 and the first electrical port 180 are soldered to the signal conversion module 160. The Ethernet port 170 is used for wired connection to an Ethernet cable (not shown in the figure) to receive network signals from the Ethernet cable. The signal conversion module 160 is electrically connected to Ethernet port 170 and first electrical port 180 respectively, and performs signal conversion between Ethernet port 170 and first electrical port 180. However, this invention is not limited to this.

More specifically, the socket body 100 includes a front cover 110 and a rear cover 120. The front cover 110 can close the rear cover 120, thereby defining the aforementioned receiving space 140 between them. A signal conversion module 160 is locked within the receiving space 140, and a first electrical connection port 180 extends from the signal conversion module 160 to the front cover 110 and is exposed from a front opening 111 of the front cover 110. An Ethernet connection port 170 extends from the signal conversion module 160 to the rear cover 120 and is exposed from a rear opening 121 of the rear cover 120. In addition, the front cover 110 has a mounting structure 130. The front cover 110 can be embedded in a fixed object (such as an interior wall, equipment, or bracket) via the mounting structure 130; however, the invention is not limited thereto. The mounting structure 130 may be, for example, a fastener, a fitting, a hook, a protrusion, or/and a screw hole.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the electronic device 20 further includes a circuit module 230 and a second electrical connection port 240. The circuit module 230 is fixed within the device body 200 of the electronic device 20. The second electrical connection port 240 is located in the internal space 203 of the device body 200, extends from the circuit module 230 to the back surface 201 of the device body 200, and is exposed from the back surface 201 of the device body 200. The second electrical connection port 240 is soldered to the circuit module 230, electrically connects to the circuit module 230, and is removably connected to the first electrical connection port 180.

Furthermore, the electronic device 20 includes a support rib 211 and two protective ribs 212, both formed on the back 201 of the device body 200 and arranged in a triangle. A second electrical connector 240 is located between the protective ribs 212, and a latching member 220 is located between the second electrical connector 240 and the support rib 211. The socket body 100 includes a first slot 103 and two second slots 104, both formed on the front 101 of the socket body 100 and arranged in a triangle. A first electrical connector 180 is located between the second slots 104, and a recess 151 is located between the first electrical connector 180 and the first slot 103.

Thus, when the electronic device 20 is installed in the recessed electrical socket 10, the second electrical connection port 240 is removably connected to the first electrical connection port 180, the support rib 211 is inserted into the first slot 103, and the protective rib 212 is respectively inserted into the second slot 104, so that the electronic device 20 can be more securely attached to the recessed electrical socket 10.

Figures 5A to 5B are schematic diagrams of the operation of the socket anti-theft system 1 in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 5A, when the user wants to remove the electronic device 20 from the recessed electrical socket 10, the user inserts a locking member 300, which is at least partially columnar, into the internal space 203 of the device body 200 through the unlocking port 217, and guides it through the guide gap G to the first part 221A of the spring arm 221 of the latching member 220; then, as shown in Figure 5B, using The unlocking device 300 continues to push the first part 221A of the spring arm 221, causing the spring arm 221 to deform and eventually disengage the latch 222 from the latch opening 152 of the latch slot 150, thereby allowing the user to pull out the first electrical connection port 180 of the electronic device 20 from the second electrical connection port 240, realizing the separation of the recessed electrical socket 10 from the electronic device 20 (Figure 2).

It should be understood that because a guide gap G is formed between the shield 224 and the device body 200, the unlocking member 300 is forced to slide straight to the spring arm 221 of the latch 220, so that the unlocking member 300 will not deviate when moving in the internal space 203 of the device body 200.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a socket anti-theft system 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the socket anti-theft system 2 of the present embodiment is substantially the same as the socket anti-theft system 1 of the above embodiment, except that the unlocking port 218 is not located on the device body 200 of the electronic device 20, but on the socket body 100 of the recessed electrical socket 10.

More specifically, the unlocking port 218 is formed on the socket body 100 adjacent to one of the side walls 102 of the front 101 and connected to the groove 151 of the latching slot 150, and the unlocking port 218 is coaxially aligned with the second part 221B of the spring arm 221. In other words, the orthographic projection of the unlocking port 218 to the latching member 220 is located on the second part 221B of the spring arm 221.

Thus, when a user wants to remove the electronic device 20 from the recessed electrical socket 10, the user inserts the unlocking piece 300 into the groove 151 of the socket body 100 through the unlocking port 218, allowing the unlocking piece 300 to push the second part 221B of the spring arm 221 within the groove 151, thereby separating the recessed electrical socket 10 from the electronic device 20 (Figure 2).

Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a socket anti-theft system 3 according to an embodiment of this invention. As shown in Figure 7, the socket anti-theft system 3 of this embodiment is substantially the same as the socket anti-theft system 1 of the above embodiment, except that the unlocking member 301 is provided with a hemispherical recess 310, which is located at the end of the unlocking member 301. One side of the spring arm 221 of the latching member 220 is provided with a hemispherical protrusion 223, and the hemispherical protrusion 223 aligns with (or overlaps with) the aforementioned unlocking port 217.

Thus, when the unlocking member 301 contacts the spring arm 221 of the latching member 220, causing the hemispherical protrusion 223 to extend into the hemispherical recess 310, since the curvature of the hemispherical recess 310 matches the curvature of the hemispherical protrusion 223, the hemispherical recess 310 can directly cover the hemispherical protrusion 223. This facilitates the unlocking member 301 in this embodiment to push the spring arm 221, thereby allowing the latching member 220 to smoothly disengage from the latching groove 150.

It should be understood that when an unauthorized person pierces the hemispherical protrusion 223 of the buckle 220 with any column (not shown in the figure), the end of the column is not specifically designed and is prone to slipping on the hemispherical protrusion 223, thereby reducing the force applied by the unauthorized person and increasing the difficulty for the buckle 220 to disengage from the buckle slot 150.

In the above embodiments, for example, electronic device 20 is a wireless network router, Wi-Fi repeater, signal splitter, hub, or network camera, etc.; however, the invention is not limited to these. Ethernet port 170 is a Power over Ethernet (PoE) port and has, for example, an RJ45 jack or an optical fiber connector; however, the invention is not limited to the format of Ethernet port 170. The first/second electrical ports 180 and 240 are complementary male/female connectors, such as USB Type A, USB Type-C, or USB PD ports; however, the invention is not limited to these.

Thus, through the framework described in the above embodiments, the socket anti-theft system of this invention can reduce the chance of electronic devices falling off the recessed electrical socket or being stolen.

It should be noted that the above embodiments can be freely combined as needed. The above are merely preferred embodiments of this invention. It should be pointed out that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of this invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this invention.

1~3: Socket Anti-theft System 10: Recessed Electrical Socket 20: Electronic Device 100: Socket Body 101: Front 102: Side Wall 103: First Slot 104: Second Slot 110: Front Cover 111: Front Opening 120: Rear Cover 121: Rear Opening 130: Mounting Structure 140: Accommodating Space 150: Clip Slot 151: Groove 152: Clip Opening 153: Shielding Cover 160: Signal Conversion Module 170: Ethernet Port 180: First Electrical Port 200: Device Body 201: Back 202: Side 203: Internal Space 211: Support Rib 212: Protective Rib 213: Through-hole 217, 218: Unlocking port; 220: Clip; 221: Spring arm; 221A: First part; 221B: Second part; 222: Locking block; 223: Hemispherical protrusion; 224: Shielding part; 230: Circuit module; 240: Second electrical connection port; 300, 301: Unlocking part; 310: Hemispherical recess; A-A: Line segment; G: Guide gap

When read in conjunction with the accompanying illustrations, the form of this invention can be best understood from the embodiments described below. Note that, according to standard practice in this industry, the features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the features may be increased or decreased at will for clarity of explanation. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a socket anti-theft system according to an embodiment of this invention. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the socket anti-theft system in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line segment A-A in Figure 1. Figure 4 is an exploded schematic view of the electrical socket in Figure 2. Figures 5A to 5B are operational schematic diagrams of the socket anti-theft system in Figure 3, respectively. Figure 6 is a sectional schematic view of the socket anti-theft system according to an embodiment of this invention. Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the socket anti-theft system of this invention.

10: Recessed electrical outlets

20: Electronic Devices

100: Socket body

101: Front

103: First Slot

104: Second Slot

110: Front Cover

111:Front opening

120: Rear Cover

130: Installation Structure

150: Clip slot

151: Groove

152: Buckle Opening

180: First electrical connection port

200: Device Body

201: Back View

211: Supporting Rib

212: Protective Ribs

213: Through-hole

220: Fasteners

221: Slingshot

222: Cards

240: Second electrical connection port

Claims (10)

A socket anti-theft system includes: a recessed electrical socket, comprising a socket body, a signal conversion module, an Ethernet port, a first electrical port, and a first latching part, wherein the signal conversion module, the first latching part, the Ethernet port, and the first electrical port are respectively located on the socket body, and the signal conversion module is electrically connected to the Ethernet port and the first electrical port; and An electronic device includes a device body, a second latching portion, a circuit module, and a second electrical connection port. The circuit module is located inside the device body. The second electrical connection port is electrically connected to the circuit module, located on the device body, and removably connected to the first electrical connection port. The second latching portion is on the device body and removably latches onto the first latching portion, thereby fixing the electronic device to the recessed electrical socket. The socket anti-theft system as described in claim 1, wherein the first latching part and the second latching part are respectively a latching groove and a latching element that engage with each other. The socket anti-theft system as described in claim 2, wherein the latching slot includes a recess and a latching opening, the recess being located on one front side of the socket body, and the latching opening being formed on the inner wall of the recess; and the latching member includes a spring arm and a latching block, one end of the spring arm being connected to the device body, and the latching block protruding from the spring arm, wherein when the spring arm extends into the recess, the latching block engages with the latching opening. The socket anti-theft system as described in claim 3 further includes: an unlocking device that can be detachably moved to the spring arm to push the spring arm and disengage the latch from the latch opening. The socket anti-theft system as described in claim 4, wherein the device body has a back side and a side side adjacent to each other, the back side facing the recessed electrical socket, the back side having a through-hole, and the side side having an unlocking port, the through-hole and the unlocking port respectively connecting to an internal space of the device body; and the spring arm includes a first part and a second part connected to each other, the first part being located in the internal space and aligned with the unlocking port, and the second part being located in the latching groove, wherein the unlocking member passes through the unlocking port and contacts the first part of the spring arm. The socket anti-theft system as described in claim 5, wherein the electronic device further comprises: a shielding member fixedly positioned within the interior space, covering the through opening, and forming a guide gap between the shielding member and the inner wall of the device body, the guide gap connecting the spring arm and the unlocking port respectively, for guiding the unlocking member to the first portion of the spring arm. The socket anti-theft system as described in claim 4, wherein the socket body further comprises a side wall and an unlocking port, the side wall being adjacent to the front, and the unlocking port being formed on the side wall and communicating with the latching groove; and the spring arm comprising a first portion and a second portion connected to each other, the first portion being located within the internal space of the device body, the second portion being located within the latching groove and aligned with the unlocking port, wherein the unlocking element is located within the unlocking port and contacts the second portion of the spring arm. The socket anti-theft system as described in claim 4, wherein the unlocking member has a hemispherical concave portion and the spring arm has a hemispherical convex portion, wherein when the unlocking member contacts the spring arm, the hemispherical convex portion extends into the hemispherical concave portion, the hemispherical concave portion directly covers the hemispherical convex portion, and the curvature of the hemispherical concave portion matches the curvature of the hemispherical convex portion. The socket anti-theft system as described in claim 1, wherein the second latch is integrally connected to the device body, or the second latch is locked to the device body. The socket anti-theft system as described in claim 1, wherein the electronic device further includes a support rib and two protective ribs, the support rib and the two protective ribs being formed on the side of the device body facing the socket body and arranged together in a triangle, wherein the second electrical connection port is located between the two protective ribs, and the second latching part is located between the second electrical connection port and the support rib.